These Eagles play with purpose

STOCKTON - Tiara Tucker was on her way to becoming one of the greatest scorers in the history of California high school basketball.

Richard Estrada

STOCKTON - Tiara Tucker was on her way to becoming one of the greatest scorers in the history of California high school basketball.

The 5-foot-3 guard poured in 2,519 points in three years at Brookside Christian, the tiny Stockton school that she helped turn into a state power. A 1,000-point senior season might have been hers, had Tucker desired it.

Instead, she packed her gym bag and went across town to play with the big girls. Specifically, Oklahoma State-bound Mandy Coleman, who stands nearly 6-4 and is ranked among the best forwards in California.

"Scoring points has never been my reason to play basketball," said Tucker, who sat the first six weeks of this season after transferring.

"I play to win games. I play for the challenge. I play to become better."

Tucker is fulfilling all three as a senior at McNair, and she's helped elevate the Eagles into one of state's elite Division II teams.

She also has helped Coleman, a point guard in the past and a power forward in the future, begin the transformation that awaits her.

"I was bringing the ball upcourt, running the offense as a junior," said Coleman, who signed with the Cowboys in November. "I'm around the basket more this season, setting up inside. I'm also able to start inside and then come to the perimeter, bringing my defender with me."

That pulls out the opponent's best inside defender and allows Tucker, Angela Randle, Brandi Hornsby, Brittany Butler and Bykema Mobley to make slashing drives to the basket.

The Eagles (23-3, 8-1 Tri-City Athletic League) average 76.4 points a game, third-best in the state, and their attack features five girls scoring eight or more points a game. That firepower has McNair No. 4 in CalHi-Sports' Division II rankings.

McNair meets one of the nation's top programs Friday, when it hosts St. Mary's (21-4, 9-0) in a regular-season finale for the TCAL title. The Rams, who escaped with a 71-66 win over McNair three weeks ago, have won a state-record 186 consecutive league games.

That's one of the challenges Tucker was seeking when she rejoined Coleman for a final season. The two had played together on a travel team in elementary school, before going separate ways in junior high.

They're together again for a farewell tour, chasing a state title, and both have made personal sacrifices this season.

Tucker, after averaging 30, 25 and 29 points her first three years, is scoring 16.6 a game this season. A 1,000-point season would have put her No. 2 on the state career list - she scored 968 as a freshman, so it was a possibility - but she has 249 points after sitting 11 games.

Her career total of 2,768 is buoyed by 10 games of 40 or more points. She has had 73- and 63-point games, but there's no need to impress recruiters this year: She's signed with USF.

Coleman had a modest 1,352 points her first three years and was positioned to be one of the bright stars this season. Her shot frequency would have been unlimited, her scoring average whatever she desired.

She is averaging 18.2 points and 13.1 rebounds, taking 14.4 shots a game. Minus Tucker, Coleman would be averaging closer to 20 shots - the Eagles likely wouldn't be ranked among the state's elite programs.

"Tiara gives us a better shot at winning, and that's why we were glad to see her," said Coleman, who has season highs of 30 points and 20 rebounds. "Everyone has given up some shots, some minutes ... but we're a better team. I want to leave McNair as a champion, we all do."

Tucker has a state title: Brookside won Division V in 2012 and was expected to repeat last season. Instead it was promoted to the NorCal Open Division, losing to eventual state champ Oakland-Bishop O'Dowd.

"Our goal is bring one back to McNair," she said.

McNair's other losses are to Division I Napa (22-1) and San Francisco-St. Ignatius, (19-3), No. 3 in the state Division II poll. The top three teams in CalHi's state Division II rankings are expected to play in the Open Division, based on the formula of past success used to select those schools.

If that happens, the race for the state Division II title is a toss-up. Those half-dozen teams include McNair, which could set a standard for Stockton.

St. Mary's coach Tom Gonsalves, who runs the national-level program across town, can't recall seeing a better public-school team in the city.

"I'm not sure who would have been better?" said Gonsalves, who has been coaching in the region since 1986. "Tucker's had a big impact. They have an inside game, an outside game. It's a very talented team."